USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Secondary Metabolites and Livestock
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency with a mission to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. ARS will deliver cutting-edge, scientific tools and innovative solutions for American farmers, producers, industry, and communities to support the nourishment and well-being of all people; sustain our nation’s agroecosystems and natural resources; and ensure the economic competitiveness and excellence of our agriculture. The vision of the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence.
Research Project: The broad research goals of this opportunity involve understanding the impact that plant and fungal secondary metabolites have on grazing livestock physiology and productivity. This will involve the study of forage grasses, legumes, and hemp secondary metabolites and mycotoxins associated with these plants using in vitro and in vivo animal models. Animal tissue and cell culture models will be used to study the ability of compounds of interest to cross absorptive barriers as well as evaluate the biological activity of these compounds.
Learning Objectives: The participant will have the opportunity to learn and use basic aseptic techniques needed for surgical procedures and long-term cell culture vascular isolation and preparations necessary for smooth muscle myography preparation of ruminal and intestinal epithelial and smooth muscle tissues for absorption and contractility studies. The participant will have the opportunity to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team that is focused on identifying evaluating and manipulating the genetic, metabolic, and physiologic factors associated with grazing livestock health and productivity. This research unit is co-located on the campus of the University of Kentucky and the participant will have the opportunity to interact and learn from university collaborators as well as USDA-ARS scientists. The participant will have the opportunity to expand knowledge and expertise in experimental design in vitro and in vivo research data analysis data interpretation presenting research results and preparing manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is James Klotz (james.klotz@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend is $74,678 annually.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.Midwest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past year or anticipated to be received by 7/1/2026.
Stipend
$74,678.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 12 months or currently pursuing.